


drips and drabs

by wyomingnot



Series: 16 monks [2]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-09-21
Updated: 2018-11-30
Packaged: 2019-07-15 03:25:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 3,631
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16054490
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wyomingnot/pseuds/wyomingnot
Summary: this is where all the tumblr bits that are mostly just ramblings about different parts of the story. they may or may not be fleshed out into actual fic/ficlet, but they belong in this 'verse.





	1. 16 monks in stasis pods

Not because the trip is *that* long, or because the ship’s not big enough to ‘house’ 16 extra people (though that’s what they were told), but because the captain really doesn’t want 16 monks underfoot for that long a trip. But she’s happy to take their money and ship ‘em clear across the galaxy.

****

Long before the 16 monks in stasis pods, it’s just Rae, Armitage, and the lost boys. Rae really didn’t want the lost boys on her ship, but she didn’t want to be Armitage’s only human contact. So they were allowed. With one stipulation - if they caused Rae any harm whatsoever, the offending boy was going out the airlock.

Of course, one had to try. And as promised, out he went. 

It didn’t really help, in the long run. There were no attempts for a while. But the boys grew impatient. Even Armitage’s orders weren’t enough in the end. 

But in the end… Rae and Armitage were alone on the ship. There were no more passengers. Nobody not in stasis, at least. 

****

of course hux and kylo meet at some point. destiny and all.

they meet because of the 16 monks.

because they weren’t actually 16 monks. they were 15 trainees and one jedi master.

because if in this universe grand fucking admiral rae sloane can kick the imperial habit, ben solo can kick snoke out of his head. and luke won’t see the darkness in ben, but does somehow pick up on snoke.

which is why they don’t travel to their new jedi temple via the falcon. why luke’s okay with traveling in stasis. makes them safer. 

****

they rarely use each others’ names. it’s just the two of them, after all. makes it easier when they go into port. if you’re not in the habit of saying names, you won’t use the wrong one publicly. nobody knows them as rae or armitage. 

when armitage excells at his schoolwork, rae might give him a “good job, cadet”. when rae’s angry, she uses his entire name. this almost never happens, of course. armitage knows she’ll never hurt him, but old expectations linger.

armitage tried to call rae ‘admiral’ a time or three, back when they first set out. but she corrected him. “it’s ‘captain’ now, cadet”. 

****

When Hux turns eighteen, Rae officially makes him a business partner, but he’s been helping almost the entire time they’ve been together.

Under Rae’s tutelage, he learns all the ins and outs of co-piloting before he can even reach the controls. She almost regrets introducing him to the navicomputer. Turns out Hux has a knack with computers. He and the nav get on like a house on fire.

When Rae sells the first ship, Hux absolutely does not cry. Anybody who tells you otherwise is lying, and he will punch you in the knees if you so much as hint at it.

****

The first place Rae and Armitage went after the lost boys were gone was a green planet in the middle of nowhere. Rae had a notion of laying low for a while. Pick up some supplies. Customize the ship some - make it as unlike an Imperial warship as possible. That life was over now. 

Rae kept an eye out for news of the status of the Empire. It never really touched the world they were on, but she wanted to know what was going on elsewhere. How soon could she and Armitage properly start their new life.

It didn’t take all that long, in the end. The news that Commandant Hux had been taken into custody, with no mention of a stolen ship, a Grand Admiral deserter, or any missing children, left Rae relieved. 

She and Armitage would never be able to resume their original identities, but it was probably safe to assume the life of a transporter and guardian of a young boy.

****

Different worlds have different protocols when looking for transport work, or looking for a ship to transport your goods.

Some worlds are like open-air markets. Captain or crew hang out where their ship’s parked/docked, hustling to some degree to convince folks that this ship is the best for whatever job. 

Others use computerized kiosks with searchable lists of stuff-needing-to-be-hauled and ships-wanting-to-haul. 

Still others might have either or both of those, but most arrangements are made in a local cantina. 

Hux hates the last kind, mainly because he’s not allowed in the cantinas and has to wait on the ship. He hates being treated like a child, even though he knows all of Rae’s reasons are completely sound and reasonable. 

He knows he could totally get past the lock-down, poke around the docks, and get back before Rae. But she trusts him, and he won’t betray that trust.

(Rae eventually does quit confining him to the ship while in port, but it’s a lot less exciting than he expected. If he leaves the ship at all, he stays with Rae. It’s more interesting. And educational) 

****

There are distinct spaces for different activities on the ship. Sleeping quarters are for sleeping and whatever else Armitage wants to do - but no schoolwork. Rae has forbidden it. Schoolwork is to be done at a specific table in the lounge, and only there. She says that schoolwork is his job, and that he should keep his work and leisure separate.

Which Rae knows is a strange thing to tell a child. But it’s good advice regardless. Besides, she knows he likes being spoken to as though he’s an adult. Like a real person who matters.

Armitage has two jobs, actually. First, he’s a student. Just because he lives on a spaceship and is in space most of the time doesn’t mean he can’t do school. Rae gets him the best education modules for his tablet. 

His other job is being a member of the crew. He’s learning what all the controls in the cockpit do so when he’s big enough to reach them without assistance, he can be a real co-pilot. He’s got modules about the ship on his tablet, too. He likes to copy the diagrams and color them differently.

There’s a small galley with an eating area. No food allowed outside the galley. Neither of them can cook at first, but they start learning because ration bars get boring after a while.

They have a small room they call the gymnasium. A treadmill for each, some climbing equipment for Armitage, some weights for Rae. Some open space for yoga and martial arts (eventually they add aerobic dance which Armitage loves to bits).

They play a combination hide-and-seek/tag game in the cargo hold, depending on what they’re hauling. They both love the game because it makes the other smile and laugh, though they will both deny it.

****

i’m lying in bed at five til five pm, listening to [this](https://mynoise.net/NoiseMachines/anamnesisSoundscapeGenerator.php) and thinking about wee Armitage Hux waking up in the middle of the night. on the first night with rae. he really has no idea what’s going on (rae’s not got much better idea). he toddles on up to the bridge of the stolen yacht in bare feet. rae gently chastises him for walking around barefoot on the ship. and little armie says he can’t wear regular shoes with his pajamas, and he doesn’t have any pajama shoes.

****


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Millicent, keeping warm, not Armitage's mom, Armitage does not have a thing for Rae

* * *

She greatly prefers _Millicent_ to ‘Millie’, but she has yet to make her people understand.

She shouldn’t be surprised; they are terrible at naming things. “Ventilation Shafts” instead of _Millicent’s Burrow Maze_. “Cargo Hold” rather than _Millicent’s Playground_. And worst of all, “Co-pilot’s Seat” when they really should know it’s _Millicent’s Bed_. (Of course, that’s not to say that “Armitage’s Bed” and “Rae’s Bed” aren’t also _Millicent’s Bed_ )

She knows she’s been brought here as an addition to the crew. She’s got a job, and she’ll get to it once she’s scented every last nook and cranny. There’s not an abundance of prey aboard, so she has to pace herself. It wouldn’t do to wipe out all the vermin too quickly. She learned that lesson last time. And she really thought that crew had adored her.

She’ll not make that mistake this time. They will adore her and love her and worship her and never want to let her go, so even after the rodents are gone, she’ll still have a home.

* * *

The thing about their first cargo ship is that it’s impossible to keep any space properly warm. They learn this the hard way on the first job. Rae doesn’t mind so much; after nearly a lifetime in space, she’s accustomed`to layering and knowing where the warm spots are on a ship.

But poor Armitage has no idea. His first few years may have been spent on a rainy world, but Arkanis doesn’t get cold like this ship does. Rae tries to teach him about layering, but he gets cranky with more than two layers on. He gets downright grouchy when the cold compels him to wear two pairs of socks to bed in addition to two sets of pajamas.

When the job is over, they go shopping and Rae finds the solution. Footie pajamas for night, and hoodies and fuzzy sweaters for the day, along with furry boots. Armitage loves the way everything feels to the touch and can’t wait to try them out on the ship.

They both know he looks ridiculous, but he’s warm and that’s all that matters.

* * *

…then there’s the time when Rae and Armitage are walking through a town square. Rae catches sight of a flash of red hair on the opposite side of the square. Armitage sees it too.

He wrenches his hand out of Rae’s and runs, flinging off his cap, screaming for his mother. 

He’s faster than Rae expects, and she almost loses him, but she can’t not *hear* him. She can’t decide if she wants the redhead to be Armitage’s mother or not. She’s nearly there when he catches up to the woman; she can hear everything,

The woman hasn’t turned around the whole time, but when Armitage adds a ‘please’ to his cries, she stops and turns.

He almost doesn’t stop in time to keep from running into her. The redheaded woman who is not his mother.

* * *

Rae never sits down to have The Talk with Armitage. She knew the time had come when the laundry unit’s usage skyrocketed. She does her research and finds a good, sound education module that she thoroughly checks out before loading it on Armitage’s datapad with a note to come to her with questions. Something along the lines of “For the love of all that’s good in the world, do not go to the ‘net for answers. I’d rather we’re embarrassed than you coming down with space syphilis”.

Armitage reads every last word in the module, examines every diagram and picture. He has questions. He asks them of Rae. They both die a little of embarrassment, and they move on.

One day when he’s off on his own wandering around a marketplace while Rae does her thing, he thinks he sees the back of her head in the crowd. He calls out, “Captain!” The head turns. It’s not her, of course, but she smiles slyly and beckons him with a hand. There’s a sudden lack of people between them and he can see she’s scantily clad.

He turns and runs back to the ship and rubs one out as soon as he gets the door to his quarters shut.

He can’t look at Rae for several days after. 

(he honestly doesn’t have a thing for her. honest and truly. he’s never masturbated to thoughts of her ever. if anything, she’s a face he uses to will away untimely erections)(a few weeks after he finally talks to her about it, he sees an attractive man and is instantly aroused. it goes on for entirely too long to his liking, but he does learn some semblance of control. and figures out that he’s pansexual)(which he brings up over dinner some random night just to see Rae’s reaction. she chokes on her caf)

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> as usual, everything was originally [posted on tumblr](http://wyomingnot.tumblr.com/tagged/16-monks).


	3. They don't talk about it

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rae does not talk about it. Armitage can’t talk about it because he was unconscious when it happened.

Rae does not talk about it. Armitage can’t talk about it because he was unconscious when it happened.

It’s not the time Armitage broke his arm while trying a fancy jump between cargo stacks, and they found out how woefully inadequate their medbay was. Rae upgraded, of course. Even got an actual only-a-couple-models-out-of-date one. Supposedly just as good.

But DoctorBot (yes, Armitage named it) and their fancy medbay aren’t enough when Armitage tries the fancy jump again the minute his arm is healed. This time he does not break his arm. He breaks his leg. And his skull.

For the first time in her life, Rae is panicked and scared. But she manages to call for emergency medical assistance to meet them at the docks (Armitage fell when the ship came out of hyperspace. There’s just enough of a shift that he lost his balance on his jump’s landing). She lands and gets the medics back to Armitage. 

Once they reach the medical center and Armitage is taken to an exam room, Rae calms quickly. The panic is gone, the fear remains. Soon it’s joined by anger when she is denied entrance to his room (he’s being kept overnight for observation).

She’s lacking the requisite documentation of her guardianship of Armitage. She’s got what seems like every other document in existence, but not what the hospital wants.

No, she tells them, she doesn’t have a notarized document releasing custody of Armitage from his parents to her because his parents are dead. The officers of the local court are dead. The town is dead. Armitage is a War Orphan, you flaming piles of bantha shit.

Right about then, who should appear but Luke Skywalker, of all people. He’d been in another part of the building. Seems Rae’s fear and anger were being broadcast through the Force Network, and Luke came to see if he could help (all that negative emotion could affect others, you know. Force sensitive or not).

Luke prefers not to poke around people’s heads. It’s just not proper. But frankly, Rae is giving him a headache, and he still needs to be in the building for a while longer. So he takes a quick look. Yeah, he picks up that she’s hiding something about her and the child, but the kid is undoubtedly hers in all the ways that count. 

The paper pushers at the hospital are all kinds of grovelly and apologetic when Luke does his I’m a Master Jedi schtick. He gets them to get the appropriate documentation on file to avoid future problems.

And then he’s gone. Everyone’s got something of a ‘what the hell just happened?’ face, but everything gets done, and then Armitage wakes up and asks for ice cream and the world is okay again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [originally posted on tumblr](http://wyomingnot.tumblr.com/post/178570843425/rae-does-not-talk-about-it-armitage-cant-talk)


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> more bits. mostly unfinished stuff originally posted on tumblr.

***  
***

The descent is so rough, Rae straps herself in and shouts out a warning to Armitage that he should do the same.

Instead, he stumbles down the passageway to the cockpit. 

Rae gives him a sharp look. “Sit down, strap in, and _don’t touch anything_.”

He does as he’s told. Even keeps he questions to himself. He takes in the absolutely bizarre settings on the various controls. Usually Rae gives him some sort of brief before their planetary approaches. That didn’t happen this time. Then again, the ship’s been understandably quiet and tense. 

A plaintive wail somehow breaks through the din of the ship shaking itself apart.

“Is Millicent secure?” Rae asks, now seriously regretting not giving any kind of warning about this descent. Not that she remembers it being this bad before. “Nevermind. She’ll be okay. I just hope everything in the galley is properly stowed.”

She expects a load crash just then, because that’s how these things work. But no. All she can hear is the cacophony of alarms in the dash. She slaps a bulky headset onto Armitage’s head before putting one on herself.

“Can you hear me?”

“Yeah?”

“Okay. Listen closely. Do not be alarmed. In a moment, I’m going to shut down the controls then commence a restart. When I give you the signal, hit the auxiliary shields and pull up. Got it?”

Armitage nods.

“Show me auxiliary shields?”

Armitage points. 

“Good. You ready?”

Armitage shakes his head.

“Better get ready fast. Here goes…”

***  
***

 

Of course Rae has more than one safehouse. For this much needed respite from the real world, she takes Armitage to her favorite house. 

There’s nothing particularly spacial about the house itself, but the planet it’s on is gorgeous. Lush jungles and forests. Breathtaking mountains. Incredible beaches.

The best part of it for Rae? Neither Empire nor Republic has ever laid claim to it.

Her neighbors know her as Rachel Stone. Though they don’t really know her. They assume she’s a businessperson from some Core world. They’ve never taken her aloofness as an insult; it’s just her way. She comes here to get away from people. The locals get that.

When she shows up in town making purchases that are obviously not just for her, though, tongues start wagging.

***  
***

 

this is an experminet

Captain thinks i need actually LESSONS in KEYBOARDING. ugh. i so do not.

For one. I can type just fine.

for two. who needs to know how to type. that’s what script translators are for. someone wrote the software so i can just write with a stylus. why should we waste their efforts?

for third.. I DON’T need TO.

see? this was typed. by ME. and it’s just fine. i can type when i want.

for the four. i don’twant to..

please,, captain. Rae. please. i’m beginng you. don’t make mee learn to type!

 

***  
***

 

DoctorBot is bored. All the time. It’s to be expected when one is serving aboard a ship with a crew of two healthy individuals and no other passengers.

Still.

She does what she can to alleviate the boredom. She asks for, and receives, additional memory modules that allow her to stand watch in the cockpit. Which, yes, standing watch is boring, but it allows her to feel extra useful. And ensures the captain gets enough rest.

Her monitoring of her charges is top-notch. Beyond even what the captain knows. Doc knows at any moment what Rae’s and Armitage’s body temperature is. Their blood pressure. Heart rate. She tests their blood every chance she gets.

All her medical databases are completely up to date. Including veterinary. 

Uh-oh. A mistake. Not two crew but three. Time for a diagnostic.

Original programming did not allow pets to be numbered as crew. Patch applied.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> a new skill for Armitage and some Millicent stuff

Rae sometimes worries that she overindulges Armitage. Her mother assures her that no, taking a week off from lessons and jobs to do a Mid-Rim zoo tour isn’t going to spoil the boy. Yes, it’s fun as anything, but it’s also educational; Armitage takes his datapad along (the good one with the camera) and takes notes and pictures. There are no tests later, but he always wants to do projects to show off what he’s learned. And despite going through at least one gift shop per zoo, the only things he’s asked for are a couple of books and one stuffed space!Elephant.

Which is now just inches from her face. And speaking Shyriiwook . Well, Armitage is making it speak Shyriiwook. Another indulgence - they watched a documentary about the Rebel Alliance’s victory at Endor as a history lesson supplement earlier this year. Armitage was totally taken by Chewbacca and his language and asked if he could learn it. 

(well, he asked if he could learn a new language. Rae thought it was wonderful that he was asking for something like that and said sure, figuring he’d want to learn one of the languages he’d heard her speak while negotiating with clients. but no)

His tutor says he’s actually pretty good, for a human.

***************************************************************

It’s a sad fact of life that everything gets old eventually.

Millicent’s still doing her job, but she’s slower and seems to be in pain. Rae’s been watching. It’s time for Doc to give Millicent a proper exam.

(Doc always keeps an eye on the entire crew. Millicent’s been getting special food with special supplements mixed in for a while. But Doc hasn’t had Millie up on the table for a good and proper prod and poke in a while)

Doc’s findings aren’t all bad. Millicent’s hearing and vision are within normal range for a feline of her age. But she is indeed suffering from arthritis. Though there’s medication Doc can formulate to help her feel better, the plain fact of the matter is Millicent is old. 

Her position as Vermin Elimination Officer is vital to the health of the rest of the crew, and the integrity of their cargo. Rae and Armitage have an important decision to make.

***

The final decision is terrible to make. But they make it together, sensibly and logically. And okay, a little sentimentally by going back to the shelter where they found Millicent.

It’s only fair that they each pick a new Junior Vermin Control Officer. Their ship is plenty large for three felines, even if Millicent decides to get territorial.

Gertrude, a sleek tortoiseshell, is a curious climber Rae imagines she’ll keep watch on top of their cargo. 

Chuck, all black but for half a rear ginger leg, seems less inclined to climb but chases the hell out of a laser pointer.

Rae and Armitage give the new cats a tour of the ship, keeping them in their carriers. When they get to the lounge and Millicent, Armitage scritches behind her ears before holding up Chuck’s carrier for her inspection. She looks, gives a desultory sniff, and curls back up to sleep.

**Author's Note:**

> Oops. I seem to have renamed things. On tumblr, all the bits I post are tagged ["16 monks"](http://wyomingnot.tumblr.com/tagged/16-monks) because of the original idea I had. But I forgot it somehow when I posted the first ficlet here. And now I like "Rae and Armitage vs The Galaxy" better. But for tagging on tumblr, it's gonna stay '16 monks'.


End file.
